Armed police were spotted outside of a residential block in the south west of the capital with residents attempting to leave the area being told to return to their homes.
19:19, 26 Dec 2025Updated 19:22, 26 Dec 2025
Armed officer standing outside of a block of flats.
Edinburgh residents were left in a state of shock after armed officers locked down a block of flats.
An image shared with Edinburgh Live appeared to show an armed officer standing on the street at Harvesters Way in the Wester Hailes area of the capital.
One local, who wished to remain anonymous, said they were alerted to a situation outside of their home at 11.30am on Boxing Day, Friday December 26.
The exact nature of the incident is unknown at this stage.
“We were alerted around 11.30am,” said. “Anyone that approached or tried to leave were told to go back inside.
Join Edinburgh Live’s Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
“They surrounded the front side and back. I couldn’t see how many armed police were there.”
They added nothing of this nature has unfolded in their community since they have lived in the area.
Police Scotland have been approached for comment.
Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox